If Marcelo Bielsa, or any other of Swansea’s managerial targets, believe in the theory of enduring misfortune they will not be crossing the Severn Bridge for employment any time soon.
West Ham’s winless run in the Premier League extended to seven games, but they were probably the ones most content at the end of their third deadlock in as many games. With one win in 13 league games, The Liberty is bound in the shackles of its own foreboding and little wonder after 90 minutes in which they largely dominated their London visitors to the extent they had 21 attempts on goal.
Swansea have now take residence in the bottom three and the pressure is squarely on chairman Huw Jenkins to make the appointment soon. Under caretaker Alan Curtis they have played well enough (this draw following an equally unlucky defeat at Manchester City) but the narrative clearly needs a change. Despite the improvement, negativity still abounds.
We weren't at our best today but our defence was resolute and won us a point we should start seeing our injured players returning soon. dg
— David Gold (@davidgold) December 20, 2015
Yet it all started so positively. Curtis had wondered if his counterpart was being cunning with his early declaration of Andy Carroll’s absence with a groin problem; but the big man was indeed on the treatment table. And as if they were released from Curtis’s paranoia, they were on the front foot from the off; passing it with precision, slowly but very assuredly making their progress upfield. They looked like the old Swansea, the Swansea under Garry Monk, before they lost the habit and he was defrocked.
West Ham attacking stats
But the confidence in sight of goal is still on leave. Andre Aye headed over the bar in the seventh minute and should certainly have scored before the break when gliding the ball wide when the net beckoned. But then, he was hardly alone, as the excellent Ki Sung-yueng and Bafétimbi Gomis spurned chances. Meanwhile, West Ham were limited to the occasional Mauro Zarate long-range effort.
An event though the visitors warmed to their task and dared to cross the halfway line, still the home threat continued to burn. It took all of Adrian’s agility to turn away Fernandez’s volley, while Ki and Gomis - who seemed to be trying, for once - went close.
Swansea attacking stats
The frustration bubbled over in the 63rd miniute, however, when Ki’s shot clearly hit Collins’s hand. The referee Lee Mason shook his head and James Collins, the former Cardiff City man, rolled around clutching his head with an act which is hardly going to assist in Welsh M4 relations. West Ham actually finished the stronger but it would have been a classic east-end heirs if they lifted this one.
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